Beyond the pale : gaming controversies and moral panics as rites of passage

Beyond the pale : gaming controversies and moral panics as rites of passage

Author:

Pasanen, Tero

Abstract:

Throughout the history of Western popular culture, new emerging forms of
media have been perceived as threats to social norms, societal order and moral
foundations. The present compilation dissertation situates the medium of
digital games into this centuries-old continuum. This study contents that
controversies and moral panics that originate from the aforementioned
concerns should be perceived as cultural rites of passage for new media, which
indicate their transition from one state into another, from periphery into
mainstream.
This study demonstrates that gaming controversies and moral panics are
rarely situational or random events. Rather, they are manufactured through
social interaction by individuals and interest groups, driven by various
sociopolitical motives. These rhetors have created a host of discourse units,
which are used to construct multifaceted narratives and ontological claims that
shape the social reality of digital games. The thesis also explores several
sociocultural factors that are generally shared by gaming controversies and
moral panics. Furthermore, the dissertation maps the cultural evolution of these
socially constructed events. Albeit the classic controversial themes of violence,
crime and sex still generate social concerns, these incidents have evolved from
mere representation-, content- or effects-based contentions into broader cultural
discussions that deal with more comprehensive societal issues. Controversies
and panics are products of their zeitgeist and surrounding culture.
The study also examines moral and cultural boundaries that inhibit the
scope of expression of digital games. These implicit restrictions demonstrate
that the new societal status of the medium is still being negotiated. Lastly, the
medium-specific qualities of gaming controversies and panics are analysed.
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